Judge rules Timothy Geithner must comply with McGraw Hill subpoena

There is a delicious poignancy in the timing. Tim Geithner is promoting his new book entitled Stress Test just as a federal judge rules on a decision that the is apt to give the former Secretary of the Treasury personal stress the likes of which he hasn't felt in years. Geithner must, the judge ruled, provide documents related to its claim the U.S. sued McGraw Hill, the parent company of Standard and Poor in retaliation for downgrading government debt. I have written numerous posts on this subject.
The upshot of Standard and Poor's defense against a DOJ lawsuit germane to it rating of mortgage debt prior to the financial meltdown of 2008 is that the suit was brought about in retaliation for S&P's downgrade of U.S. debt in 2010. Harold McGraw III, CEO of McGraw Hill claims shortly after the downgrade an angry Geithner called and promised "consequences" for said action. The call to McGraw took place right after Geithner had met with President Barack Obama, S&P said in February.
Now the judge has refused to set aside McGraw Hill's subpoena of Geithner's documents.
“Secretary Geithner’s statements are susceptible to several interpretations and it is unclear whether there is a nexus between his displeasure and the Department of Justice’s litigation decisions,” the judge said. “But, such open questions are properly answered after, not before, discovery.”